asure of Fafnir should bring.

The generous hero with treasure a-gleaming,
The Danish viking on Grani rode,--
Foremost champion in deeds of valour--
Where my foster-father had his abode.

As brother with sister we slept together;
Eight nights' space he lay at my side.
There were we happy and slumbered idly,
Nor loving caresses did ever betide.

Yet Guthrun the daughter of Gjuki reviled me,
That I in the arms of her lover had slept.
O then was I 'ware of the thing I desired not--
The truth of my marriage from me had they kept.

All too long against storms of adversity struggling
Both women and men seek their fortunes to right;
But I with my Sigurth shall end my life's battle
At last. Now depart from me, daughter of Night!

Then the ogress gave a horrible shriek and leapt into the cliff."

Then the King's followers cried: "That's fine! Go on and tell us some
more!"

But the King said: "You need not tell us any more about things of that
kind." Then he continued: "Were you ever with the sons of Lothbrok?"

Guest replied: "I was only with them for a short time; I joined them
when they were making an expedition to the south in the neighbourhood
of the Alps, and when they destroyed Vifilsborg. Panic spread
everywhere at their approach, for they were victorious wherever they
went. They were intending at the time to go to Rome. It chanced one
day that a certain man came up to King Bjoern Ironside and saluted him.
The King received him in a friendly way and asked him whence he came.
He said that he had come from the south, from Rome.

The King asked him: 'How long is the journey there?'

He replied: 'You can see here, O King, the shoes which I am wearing.'

Then he took iron-bound shoes from his feet, and the tops of them were
very thick, but underneath they were all torn.

'You can see now how severely my shoes have suffered,' said he, 'and
tell by that what a long way it is from here to Rome.'

'It must be a very long way,' said the King; 'I shall turn back and
give up the idea of attacking the territories of Rome.'

And the result was that they went no further on their way; and
everyone thought it extraordinary that they should change their minds
so suddenly at the word of one man, when they had all their plans
laid. So after this the sons of Lothbrok went back to their homes in
the north, and made no further raids in the south."

The King said: "It is clear